Clapham Junction

Despite the presence of soft-focus EM Forster stalwarts Rupert Graves and James Wilby be warned – touchy-feely this is not. Rather it’s a gritty look at what’s changed – and hasn’t – for gay people post marriage and post equal rights.

Gay visibility globally has come on in leaps and bounds, and the consequences of this higher profile are the bedrock of Adrian Shergold’s drama set in and around Clapham Junction rail station and on sprawling Clapham Common. The Altman-esque approach brings together different stories, some of which do and don’t intersect, to reveal a cross section of contemporary gay life; cruisers meet at a straight dinner party, a violin player at school faces bullies, a newly married couple grapple with fidelity and a closeted van driver unravels. The realities – and they are very real – demonstrate that as much as things have changed, they’ve stayed the same. Shergold’s film is hard-hitting and at times difficult to watch, but intriguing for its insight and accuracy.